(A response to a ‘word challenge’ on
the Yahoo Group: RobertFullerfandom.)

( This story is offered for what it
is…fanfiction, ‘Laramie’ and it’s characters don’t belong to me, and any
similarities between this and any other author’s story - though not necessarily
pertaining to the same word challenge - is purely unintentional and therefore
honestly coincidental – hey, sometimes creative minds just work on the same
thread. ‘Nuf said. Hope you enjoy this little story.)

*

Well,
I’m sure in a fix this time, layin’ here in ‘Nowhere’ Kansas, my leg busted and
hurtin’ like blue blazes after bein’ throwed from Traveler three days ago. My
head’s swimin’, and my stomach’s gone all queezy-like, givin’ me the dry heaves
dang near every time I take a swig of water from my canteen. I gotta admit, the
prospects of gettin’ myself anywhere this side of ‘civilized’ don’t look too
good. There’s nothin’ but buzzards circlin’ overhead to give a sign to anyone in
this God-forsaken place that I’m here and needin’ help…if I last long enough
for anyone to find me, that is.

Things
started goin’ south after Abilene, where I’d collected my pay at the end of a cattle
drive I’d come across and got hired on with. The boss was a bit wary on account
of the way my side iron was worn low, but he was in need of another good hand
since loosin’ a couple halfway up the trail. And me, well I was headed for Abilene
anyway, plannin’ on headin’ for Colorado and points in between afterwards, but
in sore need of some money and grub. It was a good outfit, and apparently the
boss didn’t regret hirin’ me – included a bonus in my pay at trail’s end, and
even extended his apologies that he couldn’t offer me a permanent job. I
thanked him anyway, but had plans of my own. ‘Sides, despite the fact that as much
as I don’t mind drovin’, I had to admit that I’d had my fill of eatin’ so much dust
for a while. We had a few drinks, I wished him a safe journey home and he shook
my hand, sayin’ that if I ever got down San
Antonio way to look him up if I needed anything. I
said I would, but the fact is, I doubt I’ll ever be that way again -- I’d run
into too many troublesome situations around those parts.

So, there
I was in Abilene. After Traveler n’ I’d had a few days to rest up some, we
headed to Salina and then on down to Dodge City - where I won
a fair amount of money in a few poker games. I’d thought to stay there a little
longer; the hotel was decent and the lady that owns the best saloon in town,
she had a cook there that could rustle up some mighty fine grub and coffee,
some of the best I’ve ever had. Yeah, things were going pretty well, ‘cept some
hot-head not no more’n sixteen with feather down still on his chin, said he’d heard
of my fast gun. I wasn’t lookin’ for any gunplay, said as such, too, in front
of lots of witnesses, includin’ the Marshal, name of Matt Dillon. I got the
distinct feelin’ that he was familiar with my reputation as a better-than-average
gunman. Anyway’s, he got that fool youngster sorted out real quick, told ‘im
he’d best put away any misplaced dreams of out-drawin’ me, but things didn’t
turn out that way. The next mornin’, as I was headin’ to the livery stable to
check on Traveler, that shave-tail stepped out of the Long Branch Saloon, called
me out, drawin’ his gun and forcin’ me to do the same. I didn’t kill ‘im, but
he sure ain’t gonna be using his gun hand again anytime soon. Dillon told ‘im
he was awful lucky I hadn’t shot ‘im dead, told me I’d best be movin’ on quick cuz
that kid’s pa was pretty well known in the community and there’d be trouble for
sure if I stuck around. For a lawman, I judged Dillon to be a sight more fair
minded than most, so I had no reason to doubt ‘im. I got my gear, settled my
bills at the hotel and the livery, saddled Traveler and rode out. When I left Dodge City, I sure as
heck didn’t think I’d be tradin’ one problem for another. But then, here I am,
a few days later, hurt and hardly able to move, near freezin’ at night and
bakin’ durin’ the day like sour dough biscuits in a Dutch oven. Now, I ain’t a
religious man, but I sure have been prayin’ that the good Lord does a bit
more’n just consider sendin’ me some help, cuz truth be told, I don’t know how
much longer I’m gonna be able to last like this.

But
I’m getting’ ahead of myself here…

I was
about a day outta’ Dodge when of a sudden, I heard the unmistakable sound of a
diamondback side-winder. He was all-fired upset and I gotta say, that snake
nearly got a’hold of Traveler. Hearin’ that rattler sent him lurchin’ six ways
from Sunday to get outta the way of them fangs. Next thing I know, I’m sailin’
off into the wild blue and then slamin’ down onto the hard ground. My left leg
took the brunt of the fall and broke half way down from my knee, sendin’ the
acid taste of bile gurglin’ up into my throat. Hell, I don’t think the smell of
carbolic would’a been worse! In all the time since then, my one and only
friend, Traveler, has stayed right beside me, standin’ over me like a mare
protectin’ a foal. I swear, I never seen the like of it, but am mighty
grateful. I guess he’s showing that female-side of his parentage - but far be
it from me to utter such words to ‘im. Gelding or not, I couldn’t bring myself
to insult ‘im that way. No sir, not for all the money in the world. He’s too
good a horse for that.

Somehow,
though I can’t rightly recall how long it took, I got Traveler to lie down and
then slid onto ‘im, hangin’ on for all I’m worth. The motion of him risin’ to
his feet made my leg feel like it was gonna shatter apart. I’d be lyin’ if I
said I didn’t scream; it hurt so bad I was seeing lights behind my eyes and
what I’d eaten that day didn’t stay down. But I was driven by the fact that I
had to try to make it somewhere, a town or a farm, so we set off in a westerly
direction. Trouble was, I couldn’t stay in the saddle for more’n a few miles
before I found myself on the ground again, and Traveler, well, he’s stood close
by ever since. I reckon if I die out here, he’s likely to stand beside me ‘till
he drops his own self. Dang, hard-headed fool. Guess he’s a lot like me, and
you can take that anyway you’re inclined.

I know
it’s not likely someone’ll come along, this prairie is pretty barren of people,
but I sure hope ‘the Man Upstairs’ ain’t got my time set down in that book of
his just yet. I ain’t finished, not by a long shot. Still, my chances of bein’
able to climb back in the saddle an’ keep goin’ are so damn thin, I’d have
better luck eatin’ the spines off a horned toad. Traveler must be readin’ my
mind, cuz he’s bent his head down and is blowin’ in my face to see that I’m
still alive, almost like he’s trying to get me up and goin’ for a few more
miles yet. I grab hold of his headstall, get a handful of mane, too, but it’s
no use. I’m about give out altogether, and Traveler, though he's a mustang, hardier
than most and able to forage on nearly nothin’, he’s not had any water other
what I could share from my canteen. He sure is a good horse. I’m mighty lucky
to have ‘im. I hope he reckons I’ve done right by ‘im, considerin’ all the
miles an’ hardships we’ve endured together. Before I’d managed to climb back on
‘im after takin’ that fall, I’d noticed that he’d stomped that snake’s head clean
to a pulp. Lookin’ Traveler in the eye, I’d mustered up a grin an’ said, “I
guess you’re downright angry about this whole predicament, too, an’ just had to
take it out on somethin’…might as well be that snake.”

There’s
somethin’ shakin’ me an’ a voice that sounds far off, tryin’ to get me to stir.
I hear Traveler whickerin’ and shufflin’, keeping me in the shade of his
underbelly. Openin’ my eyes, I can make out a face, though it’s swimmin’ in my
vision before settlin’ down some.

I
raise my head, though it ain’t much, an’ through the fog of fever that’s taken
hold of me, I can see that Traveler is actin’ a might suspicious, startin’ to
stomp an’ shake his head, like there’s somethin’ not right with this man. I ask
if he’s the Angle of Death, come for me; for a second, he gets an odd-like
expression, like he’s ponderin’ that aspect, then suddenly smiles real wide an’
jokes that maybe he is! I tell ‘im to go to straight to Hell, then collapse
back onto the ground, too spent to do or say more.

“C’mon
boy,” the stranger urges, not unkindly. “You get some water into you and we’ll
get you mounted up and ride to Dodge. They got a real good doctor there.”

I try
to tell ‘im I’d just come from Dodge a few days ago, couldn’t go back! But he’s
actin’ like he ain’t hearin’ me too good. That, or maybe I ain’t makin’ much
sense -- which is entirely likely, the shape I’m in.

Traveler
is nudgin’ at me with his nose an’ I lift one tremblin’ hand to stroke his face.
He sure is one good horse. Then a canteen is bein’ placed to my mouth, an’ though
I ask the man to give my horse some water first, he says he’ll ‘get to it directly’.
Traveler’s stayed beside me all this time, his patience an’ devotion a thing to
make me beholdin’ to ‘im forever. “Please, mister…” My voice is so raspy I can hardly
tell it’s my own. “My horse…needs some water.”

That
stranger’s mouth drops wide open, then his face gets sort’a pinched up, like
he’s just smelled a pole cat or somethin’. Starin’ at me, he blurts out in a
real huff, “You sure set some mighty big store by that animal, son! He must be
loyal to a fault.”

“Mister,
you don’t know the half of it.”

***

Author’s
acknowledgments and notes:

First
and foremost, I’d like to give a huge thank you to my friend of many years and beta reader/editor,
‘Druidwolf’, for catching mistakes and making suggestions that I wouldn’t have
thought of -- and some that I did, but wasn’t sure about going forward with. ‘Pard,
as always, you’re the best!

Next, I
have to give credit to Badgergater for her story, ‘A Fresh Start’ - it’s one of
my favorites and I love that she made Traveler a mustang. I hope she doesn’t my
using that as well, and with no disrespect to any other breed of horse (they’re
all beautiful and great), I can’t think of a better one for Jess Harper. These
horses are tough, hardy, have incredible endurance and can withstand hardships
some others would find difficult to survive. Kind of like Jess! ‘Nuf said.

The
incident in this little story is obviously based on the season one Laramie episode, “Glory Road”. The
‘stranger’ is, of course, Roney Bishop, who, we’re told in the episode, once
saved Jess’ life. But I figure Traveler might have played a part in that in,
too, hence the direction my little story takes with the ‘Loyal to a fault’ word
challenge.

As to
the way in which Traveler stands protectively over Jess, I’ve incorporated a
bit of an experience I had of my own. My first horse, Chaquita, an eighteen
year old Quarter Horse mare that I bought in an estate sale, protected me in
such a manner. I did something stupid while we were out riding and took a fall,
and if I’d been smart enough to listen to Chaquita, I’d have known better. After
the fall, she stood over, as though to keep me safe. I had injured some nerves
in my left hip and passed out not once, but twice. But when I came to, I saw Chaquita
looking down at me, even though there were loose horses about us. She patiently
stood by as I held onto her to get up (it took a couple of tries) and after I’d
blacked out a second time, she was still right beside me, looking at me as if
to say, ‘Yeah, greenhorn, you did a real dumb thing, but it’s okay, I’ll take
care of you’. When we got back to the
barn, I couldn’t thank her enough, and I’ll admit to bawling like a baby at
that moment and then some.

Chaquita
was a great first horse for a beginning rider. I learned a lot from her. Maybe
her standing over me the way she did was simply instinct, but I believe it was
more. When I got her, she was extremely thin, so much so, that I could grip her
backbone. It took five months to get her back up to weight and in top health
and she always took good care of me on out on the trail. Maybe that was her way
of thanking me for taking good care of her when she was in such dire straights.
So it is that, when another Laramie
fan made me aware of the word challenge: ‘Loyal to a fault’, I felt compelled
to incorporate that value into something other than a human being.

I hope
you have been entertained by this little story; it is my first Laramie fanfic.